The Mask
by HandEgg
Summary: A short story about a little kid who gets lost in the forest.


The Mask

A Short Story

A young boy ran away from his home one day. He went traveling through a mysterious forest so vast and dense, even the most skilled of travelers would get lost. The young boy, although previously warned not to, ventured into the forest, determined to discover its secrets. However, he got lost in the woods, everytime he tried to leave the forest he would end up in some other area of it, as though it was always changing to ensure its newest victim would have a great struggle in his attempts to leave the forest.

Years passed, and it seemed as if he would spend an eternity in this forest. Surviving solely off the various assortment of herbs and mushrooms that grew in the forest, the thing he hungered for the most was a the company of a friend. The boy had always imagined what it would be like to have a friend, yet these notions were sadly fictional. The boy had never had friends, not even prior to becoming lost in the forest.

As more time passed, his hunger for companionship grew, and grew, driving him nearly to insanity. But one day, when he was out collecting mushrooms for what he believed to be his dinner meal, he saw the faint glow of a fire, as it echoed through the forest. Although the boy did not know where the glow was coming from, he set out, determined to find the source of the glow. He searched and searched, following the glow as it traveled throughout the forest.

The boy grew nearer and nearer to the source, it slowly coming into view. As he got closer, the boy saw that the flame was emitting from some strange device held by a person. Excited to greet his new friend, the boy ran towards the stranger. The man mustHello!What

**The child, he looked to be about ten or eleven years old, stared at the boy, dumbfounded. **

**The boy questioned benevolently. **

**Yes. My name is Link. May I ask what your name is?t talk often. **

**er**Yes?I dont remember

**Link showed a face of disappointment. **

**s okay. What are you doing in these woods? You know they are quite cunning.**I should be asking you the same question. Why are you here?I

**The boy had heard of the Grove of Health before, but he never thought much of it. **

**The boy struggled to decide if he should lie to Link, or if he should trust his new friend and confide in him his story. **

**ve been lost in these woods for as long as I can remember. I ran from my home, seeked refuge in these woods, only to find I had trapped myself in an inescapable prison.**Well** Link stated. **

**ll help you!**What are you waiting for? Come on!It! It won** The boy called out in fear and unacceptance. **

**no, no, no, no! This is absurd! Yout you just let him leave?!**It** The boy told him with a hint of forlornness. **

**Link stared at the boy, his story reflected in his eyes. Link had a disapproving look to him, yet he still left the boy to his prison. **

**The boy continued to wander the forest, continuing life as he had prior to the meeting of his friend. And like before, an unforetold stranger appeared, traversing the woods. The boy wanted to greet the stranger, but feared a similar outcome would occur. The boy noticed the stranger had changed course, and was walking toward him. **

**The man was rather slender, he had a curved back and carried a fairly large sack on his back that was teeming with odd masks. t worry! it **

**The boy surveyed the masks, and settled upon a purple and red mask with multi-colored protrusions and orange eyes. **

**The boy wore the mask, and proceeded to follow the man. The boy would jump out in front of the man in attempts to scare him. Although the reactions were all staged, he was still quite ecstatic with himself. **

**The boy joined the man on his quest, which he was still not informed of. **

**The boy pondered. **

**Termina. The man replied in an excited tone. **

**The boy, knowing he would not be able to leave the forest, decided to travel with him to the edge of the forest and then leave him. **

**Before the two companions lay a large tree stump with a gaping hole in it. **

** here, sir? But this is merely a tree trunk.**A tree trunk? Gahahahaha! Oh, but don** The man pointed to a set of stairs in the trunk, leading downward in a spiral fashion. **

**beneath us?**Yes, boy! Come with this Termina?Only part of it. Now if I remembered the key from the last time I visited** the man started mumbling to himself in an incoherent language. **

**After the man had found his key and unlocked the door, he paused, and said, **

**The boy looked at him excitedly. Bouncing up and down with ecstasy, he opened the door and was awestruck. Before him lay a bright and colorful meadow full of Garnias and and Deku Flowers, and an occasional Deku Scrub. The aromas that emitted from the multitude of plants were mixed together to form the most beautiful scent imaginable. The bright sun and colorful flowers were a contrast to the dark greys and mute greens of the woods. **

**The boy quipped. **

**ll show you the town.s center square was a busy, bustling bunch of activity. There was a local Inn, a Pub & Tavern, a shooting gallery, a BomChu Bowling Alley, and a large clock tower in the very center, towering over everybody, casting an ominous shadow over the square. **

**The boy persisted. **


End file.
